Impelling and inhibiting forces in the perpetration of intimate partner violence.

The huge corpus of research identifying risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) has outpaced theoretical models explaining how these risk factors combine to exert their effects. This report presents a 2-stage process model investigating how a previously nonviolent interaction between intimate partners escalates to IPV. The first stage examines whether at least one partner experiences strong violence-impelling forces, which lead the individual to experience action tendencies toward IPV. The second examines whether the partner experiencing violence-impelling forces suffers from weak violence-inhibiting forces, which would otherwise serve to override such action tendencies. This model extends previous research by emphasizing the importance of inhibitory processes in IPV and by imposing a new conceptual structure on the identified IPV risk factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Magnetoelectric bending-mode structure based on Metglas/Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ fiber laminates

A magnetoelectric (ME) bending-mode structure based on Metglas/Pb(Zr,Ti)O(3) fiber laminates has been studied. This bending mode had a fundamental resonance (FBR) of about 210 Hz, which was much lower than that of the longitudinal mode. Near the FBR, the ME voltage coefficient was about 400 V/cm·Oe. Magnetic sensors based on this bending mode had an equivalent magnetic noise floor of ≤ 0.3 pT/√Hz at f = 210 Hz.     

Differential-mode vibrational noise cancellation structure for Metglas/Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ fiber magnetoelectric laminates

A differential structure which has the ability to reject external vibrational noise for Metglas/Pb(Zr,Ti)O(3) (PZT) fiber-based magnetoelectric (ME) heterostructures has been studied. This type of ME structure functions better than conventional sensors as a magnetic sensor when used in an environment in which vibrational isolation is impractical. Sensors fabricated with this differential mode structure can attenuate external vibrational noise by about 10 to 20 dB at different frequencies, while simultaneously having a doubled ME voltage coefficient. Interestingly, in addition to offering a means of mitigating vibrational noise, this ME structure offers the potential to be a hybrid sensor, separating magnetic and acoustical signals.     

Membrane separation of gaseous C1-C4 alkanes

The separation of various gaseous hydrocarbons with the aid of polymer membranes is considered; attention is focused on the separation of gaseous C₁–C₄ alkanes, which are the components of natural gas and associated petroleum gases. It is noted that a practically important property of membrane materials is the thermodynamic selectivity of a membrane, which makes it possible to enrich a permeate with heavier alkanes. Up to this point, polyacetylenes exhibited the best transport parameters for the solution of this problem. The second experimental section of this paper describes a study of the separation of CH₄ + C₄H₁₀ binary mixtures on films based on additive poly[3-(trimethylsilyl)tricyclononene-7]. It is demonstrated that this highly permeable saturated glassy polymer exhibits thermodynamic selectivity in experiments with both the individual gases (CH₄ and C₄H₁₀) and their mixtures and provides fivefold butane enrichment of a permeate. The test polymer and others additive Si-containing norbornene polymers are of interest as membrane materials for the separation of hydrocarbon gases.     

Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, which is beneficial for its resident flora

Variable skin pH values are being reported in literature, all in the acidic range but with a broad range from pH 4.0 to 7.0. In a multicentre study (N = 330), we have assessed the skin surface pH of the volar forearm before and after refraining from showering and cosmetic product application for 24 h. The average pH dropped from 5.12 +/- 0.56 to 4.93 +/- 0.45. On the basis of this pH drop, it is estimated that the 'natural' skin surface pH is on average 4.7, i.e. below 5. This is in line with existing literature, where a relatively large number of reports (c. 50%) actually describes pH values below 5.0; this is in contrast to the general assumption, that skin surface pH is on average between 5.0 and 6.0. Not only prior use of cosmetic products, especially soaps, have profound influence on skin surface pH, but the use of plain tap water, in Europe with a pH value generally around 8.0, will increase skin pH up to 6 h after application before returning to its 'natural' value of on average below 5.0. It is demonstrated that skin with pH values below 5.0 is in a better condition than skin with pH values above 5.0, as shown by measuring the biophysical parameters of barrier function, moisturization and scaling. The effect of pH on adhesion of resident skin microflora was also assessed; an acid skin pH (4-4.5) keeps the resident bacterial flora attached to the skin, whereas an alkaline pH (8-9) promotes the dispersal from the skin.     

Modifiing Effect of Zirconia Nanoparticles during Electric Arc Welding

The structure of the weld metal after welding using a flux-cored wire with the addition of 0.3% zirconia flaky nanoparticles is studied. The weld consists of an acicular ferrite. This finding can indicate that the dissociation of zirconia in an electric arc is not an obstacle to a modifying effect, which manifests itself in both the interaction of zirconium with oxygen and the surface activity of zirconium in an iron-based solidifying melt. Thus, zirconia is a modifier of both the first and second kinds for the solidifying weld metal. Excess oxygen is likely to form individual pores less than 1 μm in diameter in the weld metal; however, they only wealy affect the mechanical properties of the welded joint. These results will be used to develop electrode materials for welding pipe steels.     

Optimum absorbed heterodyne power for superconducting NbN hot-electron bolometer mixer

Absorbed heterodyne power has been measured in a low-noise broadband hot-electron bolometer (HEB) mixer for the terahertz range, operating on the effect of electron heating in the resistive state of an ultrathin superconducting NbN film. It is established that the optimum absorbed heterodyne power for the HEB mixer operating at 2.5 THz is about 100 nW.     

In vitro testing to assess the UVA protection performance of sun care products

The UVA protection delivered by sunscreens is an issue of increasing importance due to the increasing knowledge about UVA-induced skin damage. In Europe there is no officially accepted method available to determine the degree of UVA protection. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to design a protocol combining the merits of an in vitro model, which are simple and reproducible, with aspects known to be relevant from in vivo studies. The principle is: an UV-transparent support to which the test product is applied, a (pre)irradiation and a transmission measurement. Transpore(R) tape (standard support for SPF determinations) was found to be incompatible with many preparations on prolonged contact times. Roughened quartz was adopted as a suitable alternative. Transmission measurements on this support are not reliable with a layer of 2 mg cm(-2) (standard for SPF) due to detection limitations of spectrophotometers, hence a reduced layer of 0.75 mg cm(-2) was adopted. Overall, it is very difficult to apply products in a reproducible thin layer on appropriate substrates. As a consequence, absolute parameters derived from the transmission profile show relatively large dispersion, whereas relative parameters, such as critical wavelength lambda(c)[1] or UVA/UVB ratio are much less sensitive to unavoidable variations in layer thickness. An increase in deviations was observed when the samples were irradiated before measurement. It is crucial to control the output carefully (spectral distribution and even more importantly, irradiance and dose delivered) of the light source. By doing so and also taking into account the previous learning steps, a protocol was drafted and tested in a ringtest (four samples in six laboratories). The results are encouraging and show that if relative parameters (e.g. lambda(c), UVA/UVB ratio) are considered, the intra- as well as interlaboratory reproducibility is clearly better than can be obtained in vivo. In general, we describe a suitable method, which can be considered in any future official discussions about the methodology to determine UVA protection.